Baraya Barray - Whale Song and the Understory (Primary)
Poem Forest is a free nature writing prize where words make positive climate action.
This free digital workshop celebrates the understory of Sea Country through Red Room's Poetry in First Languages program Baraya Barray - Whale Song.
Led by Nicole Smede (Worimi) and Luke Patterson (Kamilaroi) poets and artists, students will engage in poetic activities that explore ocean currents and song, revealing the hidden depths of our ocean stories that connect us. This workshop will enrich learning outcomes across sustainability, First Nations cultures & histories, English & Science.
All poems created in the workshops can be entered into the Poem Forest Prize to be published and go in the running to win up to $5,000 worth of prizes, including book packs, Garden tours, seeds and more! Teachers should allow additional class time to edit and submit poems to the prize via our digital entry form. This can be a fun digital literacy task.
Note: This workshop is for primary school grades (Kindergarten to Grade 7, depending on state/territory)
Lead poets
About Baraya Barray
Baraya Barray (Sing Country) is a multi-artform Poetry in First Languages program that focuses on revitalising and celebrating Indigenous languages and knowledges, connecting communities and highlighting the relationship between language and Country.
About Poem Forest
Poem Forest is a free nature writing program and prize that breathes life back into the natural world that sustains us. Created by Red Room Poetry, in partnership with Wollongong City Council, Poem Forest invites students and teachers to use their words to make positive climate action. For every nature poem received, a tree is planted to help heal habitats and create a Poem Forest for future generations. Since 2021, over 22,800 poem trees have been planted.
